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Villanova in the Pros: Jalen Brunson Earns Community Assist Award

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Villanova Wildcats Mascot March 18, 2022 David Hague/PSN

New York Knicks All-Star point guard and former Villanova Wildcat Jalen Brunson received the December NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for his charitable ventures, including work with his nonprofit, the Second Round Foundation, a pair of Make-A-Wish visits for kids in the New York area, and shopping sprees and holiday present drives for those in need.

Brunson’s foundation, which “plants seeds to create equity for young people through education, sport, and community” per its mission statement, partnered with New York’s DREAM Charter Schools during the NBA Season of Giving, a league-wide Thanksgiving charity drive. Per the official NBA press release, Brunson co-hosted family dinner and game night events with DREAM, providing food baskets for families at the school along with 250 winter coats for students in need at the charter network’s Harlem and Bronx campuses.

Brunson also hosted 20 single mothers in the Bronx for the aforementioned holiday shopping sprees, providing $550 in Target gift cards to each of them to ensure that their families could have the gifts and necessities needed for the holidays. In fulfilling two children from the New York area’s wishes in coordination with the Make-A-Wish foundation, the kids got to attend a Knicks game and meet with Brunson.

As a result of winning the award, the NBA will donate $10,000 to the Second Round Foundation.

To read more about Brunson, who helped Villanova to a pair of national championships and became an All-Star Game starter for the first time in his career earlier this month, click here.

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